Network structural analysis of technology: a study from patent perspective

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyze the network structure of technology in and between different fields, as well as the evolution of their relations. Design/methodology/approach – Using the patent data in Derwent Innovation Index (DII) from 1991 to 2010, this paper analyzes the co-classification of Derwent Manual Code (DMC) of patents in all technology fields. Large-scaled co-classification matrices are employed to generate the DMC co-classification networks. In addition, analyses are pursued at different levels of aggregation in four five-year windows: 1991-1995, 1996-2000, 2001-2005 and 2006-2010. Using Girvan-Newman algorithm in the clustering process, the structure transformations over time are detected. Findings – The paper identifies the key technological knowledge in certain fields and finds out how different technological fields are connected and integrated. What is more, the dynamic evolution between networks in different time periods reveals the trend of generic technology developm...

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